THOMAS JOSEPH

I like reading these accounts of the Marlins' history, almost all of which I don't recall, as a latecomer to Fish fandom (2021). I also dropped MLB for fifteen years entirely after the Expos left Montréal following the 2004 season. Indeed, I don't know about most of the players whose careers fall inside my self-imposed baseball interregnum. After the 2019 Washington Nationals championship season that I followed with my late friend, the pandemic season followed. I eschewed all of that ridiculousness entirely. Living mostly in Jacksonville at that time, the Jumbo Shrimp (Suns) had brought back some of my interest through the minor league game. I also blame much of my lameness at FOF Jeopardy on all of this (and I am sticking to that defense)! Thanks for the lookback snapshots.

Marlins sweep. Caissie MVP.

MLB can't get of its own way. We watched nearly 1000 missed pitches last week. But...only two challenges that must be meted out strategically, while the entire viewing world sees the impact errors. Games, though, are nevertheless played with overt errors. Replay is often a sad joke. Do we even need to state what the upcoming CBA will produce? The two sides are drawing irreconcilable lines in the sand. Think there will be baseball in 2027? Where do you think the compromise will be that over half the league can swallow and still survive in any realistic, competitive way?

MLB's replay, ABS, and in-game accountability are all 🐴💩. There's plenty of discretion built in to the rules, but lacking in some areas. No replay. I agree with Sanoja's take. Earlier this year, I heard the Tigers broadcast analyst describe how batter counts shape everything, that is, game outcomes. We watch entirely correctable in-game situations every game, fussing impotently. The technology is there, unapplied.

It's nice that the MiLB affiliates are on MLB.tv and the free Bally's app.

Yes, surely the roster expansion will include De los Santos., whether Stowers has returned or not. A month of evaluative action is paramount for planning or trade value. As I am in the 2027-lost-or-significantly-truncated" camp, September becomes even more important for both the team and the player's career, to my mind.

I think the Marlins brass figures a WC slot is quite a long shot. I have no problem with their patchwork solution, but two-thirds of the triumvirate are offense-challenged, supercharged by traditional positional standard. Oh, well, it's a ten-day stint as of now. Perhaps DDLS or Long will be a September call-up, Stowers having returned or not.

Excellent update. 👍 I must acquire one of those funky green Wahoo caps. 😀

There's no crying in baseball. Let's see who steps up for the last seven weeks or until Stowers returns. I figure it will be De los Santos.

Alcántara is our guy.

Plunk Acuña. It may not help a thing, but I certainly love it! Lol.

Oh, yes. But I think, the last WC slot is a only a dim possibility. Under the current ecosystem, our entire strategy is understandably "just get in (the playoffs)," we must hold out hope. That means it's a reasonable success as long as the team is perpetually within shooting distance of a WC slot.

That the CBA requires changes is my hope, because there is no other option. However, the only reasons changes will be enacted revolve around funding. That is, more revenue sharing and, likely, a league-wide TV package. So, we, as Marlins fans (and the fans of more than half the teams in the league) hope the CBA provides the new money framework for more on-field competitiveness. As with any budget, it's nonsense without the income. The RSN collapse has exacerbated the problem just as the labor agreement looms. This is a redline situation. That urgency doesn't bode well for a normal season in 2027, if there is one at all. Of course, this reading of the situation could be entirely inaccurate, and the owner - MLBPA negotiations might be resolved amicably. You think?

Even in the wide, wide world of current playoff eligibility, "contending" sounds like a kin to the proverbial blind date endorsement, "she has a great personality."

The Jumbo Shrimp title game-winner is virtually his entire legacy to date.